Do you find your skin dries out during the night or with central heating on or even in air conditioning at the office? To combat this, I have always recommended layering up the use of oils or serums underneath creams but often, even when you do this your skin will still progressively dehydrate quickly.

I was interested to learn about the research of this global brand leader and innovator who have created a modern day humidifier with proven results in helping to hold the moisture in your skin by creating a less drying atmosphere to live and work in. It also has recognition from hayfever associations and claims improved quality of sleep among several other benefits. These were some of the qualities that most interested my husband and I when asked if we would like to test it.

A few months ago, I was given one of these machines with my usual strict guidelines that if I tested it and didn’t find any benefit, I would not endorse it and I have to say I was sceptical about the claims and whether it would really make a difference that I could consciously and sub-consciously perceive in the quality of the air. I was, however, familiar with the Dyson brand itself, having over the years, purchased many vacuum cleaners since their conception and we had previously bought the Dyson Hot/Cold Airblade when it was a Today’s Special Value at the beginning of the summer and have been very pleased with it.

The humidifier also has a cool fan setting which I have found very useful and from the moment that I turned it on, I was amazed at how I could feel and breathe a difference in the air quality. It has since been permanently set up in the bedroom and we have certainly noticed quite dramatic benefits that I was not expecting.

My husband and I have the eternal window open (me, because I like fresh air) window closed (him – because he has hay fever) debate. It is almost like a comedy act as all day and all night I go around opening windows because he is constantly closing them. In the bedroom, I hate it with the window closed as the air feels very stale and muggy. However, with the humidifier on, I was amazed that even on the first night, the room felt as if it was filled with fresh, clean spring air that didn’t get stale or muggy and from the moment the machine was turned on, I have had a better night’s sleep. I normally wake up every hour to hour and a half (20 years of sporadic shift work) but with the machine on, I can sleep for four to five hours.

My husband’s hay fever has significantly benefited from having the windows closed and the humidifier on and he feels it has helped this dramatically.

I was sceptical about the ability to help you hold moisture in the skin but having tested it through different weather conditions and temperatures and with different skincare regimes, I have found that you don’t need to layer your products as much when this machine is on and I have even tested it wearing no night time moisturisers (shock, faint, horror!) and my skin didn’t dry out as much as when the machine is switched off so I think this would be fantastic in both the bedroom and a very drying office or lounge environment.

I was worried about the machine making too much noise but I was pleasantly surprised in a weird way, I can actually describe the sound it makes as a constant ‘sound of silence’ which has not disturbed in any shape or form our sleep.

The cool fan option has been very useful especially on some hot nights although it’s not as efficient at this as the hot/cold blade fan that we bought earlier in the year as that seems to be more powerful and can be tilted and has an oscillator so that you can feel the benefits more in the room. I would suggest you buy this particular model as a humidifier first and foremost with the added benefit of having a cool fan adaption.

To finish, living in the country where we are supposedly surrounded by fresh, clean air I have been extremely surprised and impressed with the greater air quality when our windows are closed, with this machine on and I would envisage an even more dramatic result if you live in a town or city or near a busy road where pollution is higher and you feel there isn’t much fresh air.

Obviously I was lucky enough to be given one free of charge to test but having felt the benefits ourselves, we want to keep this machine in the bedroom and I will definitely be purchasing one to go in the lounge as I think this will make a dramatic difference during the winter months when the central heating and log burners are on, which really dry out the atmosphere.

As a final footnote, to begin with I was keeping the machine on 24/7 but in actual fact in recent weeks I have been turning it off in the day when we are not in the room and turning it on when we go to bed and it has worked equally as well.